Permafrost
by Enigmarr
Summary: A series of drabbles and oneshots centered around the Guardians- though mainly Jack Frost. No pairings, non-genre-specific, rated T for language and maybe a little trauma.
1. Chapter 1- Unseen

Hi! So this is my first ROTG fic, and as the summary suggests, it's going to be a series of drabbles throughout the lives of the various Guardians, with a focus on Jack. The chapters will be of all sorts of lengths- long, short... um... the other thing... and, you know, angsty, humorous, crack, etc.

Reviews are devoured with great appreciation, favourites are looked upon with glee, and follows just the same :D

* * *

_Set before the movie_

He wasn't sure why he did it. Perhaps it was a form of punishment- a masochistic wish to teach himself not to hope for something he couldn't have.

_Please_

He floated above the crowded streets of New York, balancing steadily on the wind, his knuckles turning pure white as they gripped the long wooden staff in his hands. He stared dully at the ground below him, jaw clenched, frown creeping its way over his forehead. It was now or never.

_Just once_

New York was always busy. Day or night, in the streets of the innermost city, there was always a thick swarm of people going one way or another, pushing past each other in their haste to get wherever it was they needed to go. The fact that it was Christmas Eve only served to make it even more suffocating than it usually was.

. . .

It hurt.

_Somebody_

As he watched them, Jack felt an increasing weight on his chest.

Push.

Shove.

Angry glare.

Contact.

Acknowledgement.

He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take. He had come here for a reason, hadn't he? How much longer was he going to stall?

_Anybody_

So, taking a long, deep breath, Jack steeled himself, let go of the wind, and dropped.

He landed lightly on his feet, threw his arms wide, and shut his eyes tight.

It didn't stop the pain.

Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as the feeling set in- one by one, people walked through him, sending white hot chills down his spine. He bit his lip, tightened his grip on his staff, curled his toes, but none of it did anything to stop the low, choked sob that escaped his throat.

He wasn't believed in.

The tears froze on his cheeks, forming a thick, shimmering layer of white on his already pale skin. Some of it broke off, landing and scattering on his old, ugly red sweater.

He'd never be believed in.

_Please_

_Just once_

Never.

_Somebody_

_Anybody_

_**Touch me**_

A jolt ran through his body as something roughly jerked his fingertips. Eyes flying open, he ignored the sight and feeling of people continuing to stride through him and whipped his head to the right, a feeling of fearful, excited apprehension and- dare he say it- hope coursing through him.

He saw nothing but the continued stream of people.

Confused, he looked down, and when he did, whatever emotions had been within him simply vanished.

"_Oh,"_ he thought, letting out a soft, humourless chuckle. _"Somebody's dropped their handbag."_

* * *

Haha. So yeah, I may or may not have started this drabble series with something unnecessarily sad._  
_

Headcanon time: Jack can interact with any object that isn't being touched by a non-believer.

Second headcanon: Before he found his hoodie, Jack wore a really quite gross red sweater. In all honesty he absolutely hated it, but it was, for quite some time, all he could find. Besides, it wasn't like anyone could judge him for wearing it when they couldn't see him.

. . . So he told himself.

Hehe. Angsty Jack.

I can't say for sure how long this fic will be- it depends both on the response to it and my personal life (entering last three terms of HSC... bah. ) but I'll try my best to keep it going as long as I can :3


	2. Chapter 2- The Winter Months

HAI THERE~!

Thanks go to everyone who reviewed and favourited and followed my story, there was much glee~

Enjoy!

* * *

Jamie bennet was born in spring. Spring was his favourite season- the time he was happiest, though he never really was anything else. His mother and father cared deeply for him and, since birth, he had always been catered to with the greatest amount of attention- and while he was aware that they didn't believe in the legends they told him of, they never spoke a word about it, always letting Jamie indulge in that which gave him joy.

His younger sister, Sophie, had been born in summer when he was six years old. To be truthful, he hadn't been too thrilled at first- he'd wanted a brother or, better yet, no sibling at all. He was loath to share the attention that his parents gave him, but it didn't take him long to warm up to the precocious little girl. As she grew, he took great pleasure in telling her all there was to know about the various legends that he knew of, even when she didn't understand them. The most difficult to explain had, surprisingly, been the Easter Bunny. He'd always known that the Easter Bunny wasn't a simple cute little rabbit- he _had_ to be at least a little bigger to get all the eggs around the world in time, after all. Sophie had frowned in confusion, so he drew her a picture. The Easter Bunny became her favourite. Summer was Jamie's favourite season.

It was summer again and Sophie was two years old when their father left. The effect had been devastating- his mother had cried for weeks afterwards, then simply gone silent. Sophie had cried for a time, but was soon half-heartedly playing with her toys once again. Torn even further than he already was at the sight of sadness in Sophie's eyes, Jamie used his birthday money to buy her a small rabbit toy- it cheered her like nothing else, and the sight of her unfaltering smile was enough to keep Jamie going until most of the pain had faded. Jamie hated summer. He'd always liked autumn better anyway.

Jamie's friends were, to put it frankly, the best in the world. He had known them since kindergarten and they always knew how to make him happy. With their help, the memory of his father's departure was now distant and he, in turn, managed to put a smile back on his mother's face. He began telling her all that she hadn't known about the legends before, and felt his heart soar when she grinned and laughed in response. Winter was always the best time- he, Sophie and their mother would all huddle in front of their small fireplace in the living room and they would listen as he told his stories, or play board games or watch a movie, glancing at the snow falling outside with a feeling of contentment.

Winter was, by far, his favourite season, and he felt as if it always had been. The sight of falling snow sent shivers not of cold but of excitement through his body and the sheer fun of a snowball fight was immeasurable. Late at night, when dark thoughts clouded his mind and refused to allow him sleep, Jamie found solace in the frost that spread in fern-like patterns across the panes of his windows and the drawings he made on them- fleeting in truth, but lasting in memory.

The incident with Pitch had left Jamie more shaken than he'd let on. Until meeting the Guardians themselves, he'd been having nightmares for weeks beforehand- horrid dreams revolving around all the worst moments in his life. Sophie with the flu. His mother's depression. The death of his grandmother. Again and again, Jamie was subjected to the memories until he felt his will to smile crumbling, just barely held together by his belief in the legends and, eventually, his meeting with them and the later defeat of Pitch. Finally, and for him, most importantly, there was the start of his close friendship with the being known as Jack Frost.

Surprisingly, his second meeting with Jack was much more tense at first than he'd expected. Jamie had been sitting at his desk when he'd felt it- the sudden, cold breeze tousling his hair, rustling the pages of the book he'd been reading. Surprised, Jamie turned around, sure that he'd left the window closed, only to see the pale face of his new friend staring back at him with an oddly anxious expression, replaced quickly with relief when Jamie adopted a wide grin. Jamie had hastened to the window, opening it fully, standing aside and waiting for Jack to enter. An intense bubbling sensation had started in his chest- he was truly joyful to see his friend again, but that joy faded a little with Jack's next words. In a quiet, hesitant voice, he'd asked him a question.

"H-hey, Jamie, um... Can I come in?"

Jamie had been stunned. "Of course!" he'd exclaimed and, taking Jack by the arm, he'd outright pulled the sprite into his room, ignoring the cold he brought in with him. Beaming, Jamie then began to talk, and he and Jack spent the next few hours doing just that. It took a while, but Jack eventually loosened up and when Jamie spoke a little of his own life, Jack was soon eager to recount his own.

For a few weeks afterwards, Jack had still been awkward upon entry, but at Jamie's insistence, he finally started climbing through Jamie's window permission at all hours of the night. The problem presented itself again the year after, when winter came once again, though thankfully it disappeared far more quickly. Jack's visits had quickly became something both he and his friends all looked forward to- Jamie most of all. The sight of falling snow became not just a trigger of excitement but of true anticipation, snowball wars were fought with the greatest enthusiasm and laughter rang far and wide all during the winter months- all thanks to the blue-hooded spirit.

As Jamie found himself once again sitting cross-legged on his bed with Jack by his side, he thought to himself that winter had always been his favourite season.

And now it always would be.

* * *

GAH! I LOVE the brotherly relationship between those two!

Anywho, I refuse to believe that the first time Jack visited Jamie after the whole Pitch thing he just kinda burst in and was like "Hey there, let's play!" or something similar.

_300 years alone time._

I figure it'd be pretty hard to believe straight away that someone could actually _see_ you after that.

Anywho, thanks for reading, review pls I do ever so love it :3

Also, take note: there _will_ be OC's in this fic from time to time, but never will they be all that important and never will there be any romance. They _may_ be recurring, but it's unlikely.

Thanks again! :D


	3. Chapter 3- Perception

Hallo there!

Thanks to everyone who either favourited, reviewed, followed or simply looked at my story, I greatly appreciate it :3

* * *

While at most times it was an inconvenience, being mute _did _have its advantages. Sitting calmly to the side while the others chatted and, to an extent, forgot he was there, gave one a chance to find out more about his companions and if he'd been in a position to admit it, Sanderson Mansnoozie would say that he was the most perceptive member of the Guardians.

For him, it was the smallest signs that he noticed the most- the twitch of Bunnymund's ear whenever he was becoming annoyed, the pursing of lips whenever Toothiana was worried, or the way the corners of North's eyes crinkled when he was amused. However, these signs weren't always so obvious to him, even when they should be.

Toothiana was constantly in company- either surrounded by friends or her family of Little Teeth. As he found out, this was not just a simple fact- it was something that she craved, something she felt she _needed_. He'd caught her on her own only once several years before, and never had he seen her look so hopelessly lost, flitting about from one end of the globe room to another, her eyes darting around in search of someone- _anyone_ to interact with. The Yetis were all too absorbed in their work to notice her presence, and MiM knew where the elves had all gone off to. She'd looked close to tears when Sandy had appeared, greeting her with a bright smile that instantly wiped the fearful expression from her face. She'd immediately launched into conversation and the two of them had continued to talk until finally one of her Little Teeth came to fetch her.

Sandy still didn't know why she'd been alone, but he had taken steps to ensure it never happened again. A sign here, a wink there- there had been surprisingly few Little Teeth who knew of this need, and since he'd mentioned it, Sandy had never once seen Tooth without at least five of her little fairies buzzing about her frame, and since Jack's arrival, it seemed her cheerfulness had skyrocketed. The boy was often at Santoff Claussen- always there whenever Tooth came to visit- and made sure to visit Tooth Palace regularly. While it might have seemed that the Little Teeth were the ones most affected by his presence- a blush here, a faint there- it was impossible to miss the caring smile that Toothiana wore whenever he was in her presence.

North, meanwhile, had an unusual quirk that, when the thought had first occurred to Sandy, had seemed downright impossible. However, after double and triple-checking, there was no doubt. North needed disaster.

It had become apparent not long after the discovery of Tooth's need for company- the day was quiet, and Sandy was calmly sipping eggnog in the globe room when North came striding in, looking rather irritated by something. At a questioning look from Sandy, North shook his head.

"No, no, there is nothing wrong... _nothing!_ Pretty amazing, right?" he laughed, though it lacked the jovial nature it usually possessed. Hands on hips, he looked around, brow furrowing, and continued in his falsely cheerful tone. "No, no, nothing wrong- nothing wrong for full month now! Yetis are all working fine, ahead of schedule even, and elves are making no trouble, is all fine... _Everything_, just fine. Juuuuuuust fine."

Awkwardly patting his hands against his thighs, North wandered off, calling out behind him. "Yetis are even _knocking_! Prototypes are unbroken- too many, even! No more needed for _years_ now!"

Anything North said beyond that had faded into a low, tense murmur too quiet for Sandy to hear. Troubled, Sandy had finished his eggnog and floated to the workshop, casting a golden eye over the proceedings which were, as North said, perfectly _fine_.

It had taken two more incidents such as this and a further two weeks of perfect production until Sandy made his decision.

North had been drifting listlessly through the halls of Santoff Claussen when he heard it- an almighty crash in the workshop. Feeling an unusual jolt of anticipation and- though he'd never admit it- excitement, North raced to the source of the noise, heavy frown and scowl at the ready.

The sight that greeted him sent shivers down his spine.

At the back of the workshop stood a large pile of toys and gadgets, ready to be packed and taken to the storage room in preparation for Christmas. Or at least, there _had_ been a large pile of toys there, anyway. What stood there now was what appeared to be the result of a massive crash, leaving a crumbling pile of wood, metal and bizarre coloured joints in its wake. Not only that, but as he leaned closer, North saw, much to his surprise, small beads of glittering golden sand covering the broken toys in a thin film.

Yetis and elves had surrounded the scene, the former wailing in frustration and despair, voices frantic as they shouted excuses to North for the incident. Just as the elves were starting to throw themselves at the pile in search of something to play with, there was a small rustling noise and the pile shifted, and soon Sandy was floating out of the debris, a look of utmost apology on his round face. While North and the others stared, Sandy made a series of images above his head- Sandy, a plane, the toys, the broken toys. It took a few repeats, but eventually North got the message.

"You _crashed your plane_?" he asked incredulously, and Sandy nodded.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, it was broken. North's laughter, loud and jolly, began to resound through the workshop, much to the surprise of his workers. After clapping his hands for a good minute, he wiped a small tear from his eye and set about ordering the Yetis around, half-heartedly telling the elves to clear the area.

The incident set him an entire month back in production, but Sandy had never seen him happier. Even in the present day, with Jack Frost repeatedly causing minor incidents throughout the place- usually involving the elves- whenever North complained about the boy and his hijinx, Sandy would never fail to see the small twinkle in his eye.

Bunnymund was a different story altogether. Whether or not he was in the presence of others never really seemed to affect him much, and with such a small time frame to work in, there was never much of an opportunity to worry about things going wrong.

Or at least, so Sandy thought.

He caught Bunny in his Warren, about a month after Jack had taken his oath, pacing back and forth on the bright, springy grass. His ears were back and his brow was furrowed, which confused Sandy. For years, he'd come to visit Bunny occasionally and always he'd found the Pooka stretched out beneath a tree, snoozing away, or simply watching over his home. He'd never seen his friend look so anxious, and it took several more visits for him to discover why.

Bunny was sitting beside a small river, glaring at the water, his shoulders hunched and tense. Sandy had watched him for a time and then, just as he was about to go over, he heard a small giggle.

Looking to his right, Sandy raised his eyebrows at the sight of Jack grinning at him from ear to ear. Raising a finger to his lips, jack instructed him to remain quiet, then took to the air, leaving a chill in his wake. Wondering what on earth he was doing, Sandy returned his attention to Bunny, only to find that he had gone.

Just as he started to look for him, he heard another noise- a small chuckle, once again to his right. As surprised as he was to see Bunnymund crouched beside him, it did nothing to match his surprise at the man's words.

"Alright, where's he gone?" Bunny murmured, a smirk climbing up the side of his face. "Come on, come out here, ya rascal!" he called, walking further out into the open.

A cackle was heard by all and in the next instant, Bunny was tackled, lying on his front with Jack on his back, rubbing snow onto his head. The Pooka growled playfully and flipped over, pinning Jack to the ground and lightly tickling his sides. The boy shrieked with laughter and pulled away, slipping out of Bunny's grasp only to attack him once again. Sandy watched the two scuffle with a smile on his face, leaving only after he was sure the two had forgotten he was there.

So, Tooth needed company, North needed trouble, and Bunny needed a nuisance. What did Sandy need?

Well, if he was honest, Sandy needed someone to talk to. It was something he'd realised long ago, and something that, until roughly two hundred and twenty hears prior, he'd never really had. He needed someone patient- someone willing to wait for his messages and persist until they had guessed his thoughts correctly. He needed someone with something to _say_, and to understand when they were talking too much or talking too little. He needed someone truly willing to sit on a cloud with him for hours on end, discussing whatever came to mind.

Jack frost was that person.

Now, Sandy sat in the rafters of the globe room with Jack beside him, sipping away at North's home-made hot chocolate while his companion cooled his own. They sat in silence for a time, until Jack decided to speak.

"Sandy, can I talk to you about something?"

Sandy regarded Jack for a moment, then nodded, pleased. Sandy and Jack had known each other for quite some time, and while they only properly talked once every few decades or so, Sandy was always the person that Jack felt most at ease talking to. It was for this reason that Sandy felt a small amount of guilty pride- it was quite a pleasant feeling, knowing that, in a way, he took precedence for Jack over the other Guardians, at least in this manner.

Jack looked at him a moment longer, then smiled, continuing. "I think... I think I might finally be becoming used to being a Guardian."

Surprised, Sandy lifted a question mark above his head. Seeing it, Jack laughed.

"Well, I know it might have seemed that I was used to it a while ago, but truthfully, it's taken me some time to adjust to... well, everything. Being seen. Being wanted. Being _loved_. It's... it's been really weird, and I know this might sound a bit... rude, maybe? But it hasn't always been pleasant. I'm still getting used to actually being hugged and stuff, and constantly being around people that can see me can get a bit exhausting. I've been trying to push myself- you know, hanging out here, visiting the others- 'cause I figured if I'm gonna be a _Guardian_, I need to... I don't know, actually get rid of this whole "loner" side of me. I-I've got kids that can _see_ me now! I can't be wallowing around in these problems that... that I don't need anymore." Jack paused, letting out a long sigh. "I can't... I can't say I completely forgive the others yet... But I know they're sorry, and I know they're trying to make it up to me. And maybe... I've been thinking that maybe if I try my best to help them with their problems, they can help me with mine."

Another question mark, even larger this time, formed above Sandy's head. Problems? Could it be that, in the short time he'd known them, Jack had noticed as well?

Jack laughed, taking a long gulp from his almost-frozen chocolate.

"Come on, Sandy, I know you've noticed it too. Tooth hates being alone, so I try to hang out with her as much as I can. She's great- a bit fussy, but she's really nice, you know? Really easy to be with. She and the Little Teeth are great for helping me get over my issue with companionship. And North, he's fun- he _loves_ it when I trash his workshop. To be honest, I was really scared the first time I broke something there- I thought he was gonna tear me apart! But, weirdly enough, he always seems happier whenever I'm causing trouble. I think he needs to feel in control, you know? Needs to be able to remind everyone that he's the boss and that he can help out when he's needed. That, in turn, kinda reminds me that he- that all of you- are always there to help me when I need you now. And Bunny, he's my touch cure. Wrestling with him is crazy- no restraint, that guy has. The amount of times I've flown home with sore arms and aching sides is crazy. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. And then there's _you_."

Sandy's eyebrows rose and he waited, curious to hear whatever it was that Jack had noticed about him.

"Well... You like to see us all happy."

His eyebrows rose further and he felt a slight warm chill creep down his spine. Smiling, Jack continued.

"You always seem really down whenever we're apart, or we're arguing, or just... just not working as a group in general. You're always trying your hardest to keep us happy, and you never stop trying until we are. Plus, you're really great to talk to whenever I need to, and that's... that's a pretty big deal for me."

Jack laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "So... yeah, um... Thanks, for everything."

At that moment, they heard a call from below them; "Jack! Sandy! Come down, we are having a meeting!" North shouted, a wide smile on his face.

Jack laughed, preparing to jump down. Before he did, he turned to Sandy one last time. "He calls it a meeting, but I'll be he's just made the Yetis cook dinner."

With one last wink, Jack jumped down from the rafters, landing softly on the ground below. Sandy watched him go, a warm feeling spreading throughout his chest.

Well, maybe he wasn't quite the most perceptive member of the Guardians after all.

* * *

Okay! So! Thanks for reading, and once again I exclaim loudly that I LOVE REVIEWS.

I LOVE THEM.

THEY SUSTAIN ME.

And if anyone has any tips or comments, feel free to say so.

I LOVE IT.

Also, I'm taking requests, so if you're at all interested, just ask and I'll see what I can do ^-^


	4. Chapter 4- Eat the frog

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVELY REVIEWS!

A special thanks to guests, because I can't reply properly to them, and if I actually can, I have no idea how.

HERE, HAVE SOMETHING MILDLY HUMOROUS.

Love you :3

Oh but wait before you start, let me make another note: I personally find it difficult to believe that a person could lose belief just because of increased age- especially after a direct encounter with those they believe in. I think that one of the reasons humans in the ROTG universe lose belief as they age is because they only catch glimpses of these legends as children and then, as they get older, they stop waiting for those glimpses and stop noticing when they happen, thus they lose their belief. I personally know people in their late-late teens and older who claim to have seen- and only _seen_, not even _interacted_ with ghosts back when they were very young, and to this day they maintain that what they saw was absolutely real.

Thus, because they got a chance to come face-to-face-and-otherwise with the Guardians, Jamie and his friends maintain their belief for the rest of their lives. In this fic, anyway.

Besides, the idea of Jack's first believers just ceasing to see him is just too sad for me to handle.

ANYWHO, READ ON!

* * *

_Set six years after the movie_

"What?" Jack stared at his now sixteen-year-old friend in complete bemusement. He was currently crouched on the side of Jamie's desk with his staff in front of him, using it as support to lean closer, staring at the thin book in Jamie's hands.

Jamie giggled, passing it to Jack. "_Eat that Frog!_ that's what it's called. We have to read it for school."

Jack stared at the picture of the small cartoon frog on the cover and couldn't help the confused look creeping across his face. "And... what's it about, exactly?" he asked slowly.

Jamie giggled again, taking the book back and dropping it unceremoniously on his desk. "It's a study technique," he explained. "Let's say you _absolutely had to_ eat a frog at some point during your day, you'd want to eat it early and get it over and done with, right?"

"That depends. Why do I have to eat the frog?"

"Your life depends on it."

Jack deadpanned.

"Also my life depends on it."

Nodding, Jack crossed his arms. "Alright, I'd eat the frog then. Is the frog poisonous?"

"What? I don't-"

Jack sighed, shaking his head. "Jamie, if I'm going to be eating a frog for your sake, I should at least know what the situation is. What type of frog is it? Is it poisonous? Why are you going to die if I don't eat it? Is someone holding you captive, and claims that they're going to kill you if I don't eat this specific frog? Am I to find my own frog to eat?"

"It's a new type of frog that no-one's discovered and isn't poisonous. Come on Jack, can I just explain it?"

Jack laughed, rocking back on the balls of his feet. "Okay, go on, then."

Jamie smiled and went on. "So you have to eat a frog- you'd want to get it over and done with early, right?"

"I guess..."

"Well, the frog is a metaphor for work. They're saying you should get all your work done as soon as possible so you can get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of your day."

"So why bother with the metaphor?"

Jamie shrugged. "I dunno, to make it more interesting? It's like the fish philosophy."

"The wh- no. Don't need to know. How far through the book are you?"

Jamie fiddled with his pen. "I'll start it tomorrow," he mumbled.

"Eat the frog, Jamie."

"I'll start tomorrow," he repeated a little louder. "Besides, we've got until next week, that's ages away... And it just looks so _boring_!"

Jack smirked and leapt off the desk, striding lazily to Jamie's window. "Well, have fun with that, kiddo, I've got snow to spread." Pulling it open, Jack turned back to Jamie, his smirk widening. "See you in a few days, alright?"

Jamie smiled, nodding vigorously. "Sounds awesome."

Chuckling, Jack leapt through the window and was gone.

. . .

The next morning, Jamie awoke both to a very cold room and a very strange noise. Frowning, he turned over, and immediately clapped a hand to his mouth to avoid shouting. Breathing deeply, he slowly lowered the covers and climbed carefully out of bed, creeping to his desk, where he found a large glass container, with a note beside it. Sighing, Jamie picked it up, casting an appraising eye over the neat, elegant writing before beginning to read.

'_Dear Jamie,_

_Before you even ask, North wrote this for me (he gave me the container, too!), but that's beside the point. I wanted to talk to you about something very important._

_Jamie, as kids get older, they go through changes- their hair grows in weird places, they have growth spurts (Not you though, you'd better not have a growth spurt, you are __**not**__ allowed to be taller than me), they have all sorts of weird stuff happen to them- some kids can completely change their personality in the space of a day! But Jamie, the thing I really wanted to talk to you about is the fact that kids can pick up some pretty weird habits._

_Jamie, I don't know where this fascination with eating frogs may have come from, but I'm not one to judge. If you want to start your day with some bizarre frog-eating ritual, that's alright, and you should never let anyone else tell you otherwise. Hey, I did some pretty weird stuff when I was younger, too! And I just wanted to let you know that, whatever you do, I'll support you._

_So, as your big brother, I decided I'd get you something special. I found them way south in the woods, near a big lake. Don't eat them too quickly, you might choke!_

_Love, Jack.'_

Following the message was a series of heart-shapes and inane scribbles, along with a small, neatly-drawn cartoon of a frog, all of which disappeared when Jamie scrunched up the letter in one hand and threw it quickly in his trashcan. Leaning down, he stared intently into the glass container on his desk, taking into account the careful arrangement of the false environment- a thick layer of dirt at the base, topped with small sticks and twigs and a thick piece of bark that looked rather like the top half of a log. Leaning further down, he saw a mound of green hidden beneath the bark, convulsing and occasionally shifting.

He counted.

'_One... Two... Th- no... Yeah, three... Four? No, that's it's leg...'_

It took him a while, but eventually he settled on three. Three frogs. At least now he knew where that noise had been coming from. Rubbing his fingers against his temples, Jamie sighed again, a wry smile creeping up the side of his face.

"I'm not eating the frogs, Jack," he called loudly.

As expected, a gleeful laugh heralded Jack's presence just outside his room, and a following _whoosh_ signalled his exit.

Smiling, Jamie glanced once at his window, frosted and drawn on and all (with a picture of a frog, of course), turned back to his frogs and placed his hands on his hips with another long sigh.

"Well, I guess I should name them."

* * *

Let me make this perfectly clear: _THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY REAL._

A full book devoted to the simple message "GET IT OVER AND DONE WITH", which may possibly have been a better title and overall a better message. Heck, it could have just been a large poster rather than a full paperback filled with a thousand different ways of telling you to get your work done and why. Actually, someone could just shout it in people's faces. That would work.

Anywho, my fellow students and I had to briefly look at this book (Not read it, luckily) as part of a study session.

I spent that study session drawing and re-drawing pictures of Jack not eating frogs.

Look, here's one of them- I can't copy and paste the url, but my profile name on deviantart is "Enigmar" and the work's name is "Don't Eat the Frog"

Jamie's frogs will be a regular feature of his room from now on. Their names are Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Naw, just kidding. Their REAL names are Breakfast, Larry and Dino.

Jack insisted on the first one.

Anywho, thanks for reading!

REVIEW!

PLEASE!

I BEG OF THEE!

And I shall update soon :D


	5. Chapter 5- Frozen Memories

HALLO!

Thank you for reading!

Thank you for reviewing!

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING AND FAVOURITING!

Love you all ^-^

Right, down to business. I figure this deserves a little pre-note: I'm Australian, so I have very little idea what Colonial America was like. I've done a little research into it, but if anyone notices anything that doesn't make sense, PLEASE tell me and I'll be sure to fix it ^-^

**EDIT: A very lovely guest pointed out several mistakes in this chapter- thank you! If there are any more, be sure to let me know :)**

Also, I know that there has been some HEAVY argumentation regarding the name of Jack's sister. If it's all the same to everyone, I'm just going to call her Emma, because I've heard her called that quite often in fanfiction.

Also, I like the sound of it.

Jack's mother and fathers' names were chosen randomly from a list of Colonial American names.

Thanks again for reading!

* * *

Twenty-three days had passed since Jack's birth, and the young sprite was acutely aware of it. He was currently perched on the roof of one of the small houses of the village, his mouth set in a small grin as he surveyed the town, eyes roaming over the people he'd come to watch over the course of his short life.

Burgess was a beautiful town. Well, he'd never really actually _seen_ any other towns, but he was sure that they couldn't be as beautiful as this one. There was something about the place that Jack felt drawn to- whether it be the simple wooden houses, the hardy, skilled men and women, the forests, covered from top to bottom in snow, or the lake which he now called his home. He knew not what kept him there, but it was doing a good job of it.

Lady Jane, the baker's wife, was striding purposefully across the beaten-down earth towards a fairly sizeable abode at the head of the village. She was wearing a simple white dress and thick boots, her dirty blonde hair pulled into an elegant bun atop her crown. Jack wondered briefly why she'd chosen such clothing for this particular day- he'd made it snow the previous night, and the ground was extremely muddy. Jane had not taken three steps out of her house before the bottom of her dress was soaked, her lips pursed in annoyance.

"Too busy for worship," Jack heard her mutter darkly, "what's he coming to?"

Ah. So that was why she was alone.

Jack hummed quietly to himself for a while, watching the few inhabitants of the town arrive at the meetinghouse in their various forms of fancy dress, the treasured linen steadily gathering a thick smattering of mud all over. The children were the worst- covered from head to foot, some were!

Jack giggled at the sight of one boy in particular who had a thick layer of the stuff smeared into his hair. His mother walked beside him, hurriedly trying to wipe it away as best she could, but her efforts were futile. The boy's father wore an expression of discomfort, and as the family approached, Jack soon knew why. His grin faded as he listened to them speak.

"-Just don't see why you had to provoke her!"

"But mooooooommmmmm!" the boy wailed, tears streaming down his flushed cheeks. "I-hic- I didn't _mean_ iiiiiiit!"

"Well how else did you mean it?! I've _told_ you not to mention it to _any_ of them, and next minute you've gone and done it! What's wrong with you, child?!"

"But _mooooooooooooomm-"_

"No! No buts!" his mother snapped. "The next we see them, you are going to apologise _properly_ to that girl for mentioning her brother! And apologise to her parents, too!"

The boy had started yelling now. The mother raised her voice with him. The father's face scrunched up further in discomfort. Jack stopped paying attention. He had already figured out to an extent what had happened- there was only one girl precocious enough to even _think_ of handling mud, and the only one he could think of with reason to do so. The poor girl's brother had died little more than a month before and still she couldn't bear any mention of him. Nor could the rest of their family, it seemed. It was bad enough that they lived right next to the lake in which he had drowned, but the rest of the village just couldn't seem to stop talking about him. This "Jackson" kid seemed to have been the life of the place- almost every amusing story revolved around him. Jack had been there for little more than three weeks, and only twice had he ever heard anyone properly laugh- and even in death, Jackson had been the cause of it. His family had been the only ones who seemed anything but cheerful at the mention.

It was probably because of this that Jack felt such an intense need to be with them- to help them as much as he could in their time of despair. More than anyone else, Jack enjoyed following the little girl Emma and her parents, doing his best to cheer them up; be it with snow, a light winter breeze or even the little snowmen he'd been learning to make. It was difficult- not being seen and all- but he tried. Once, when he stuck small twigs into the head of a snowman in an effort to make it look like it had antlers, he could have sworn he heard the little girl giggle, but any trace of joy the girl might have felt was quickly wiped away.

As the few memories he had of the girl revolved in his mind, his attention was brought back to reality at the sight of two people walking side-by-side towards the meeting. His eyebrows shot into his hairline at the realisation that it was Emma's parents- hands clasped and heads together, their breath visible in the cold air as they talked in low voices.

Curious, Jack tightened his grip on his staff and called upon the wind to set him down nearby. He landed with little difficulty and made sure to give his new friend silent thanks before trotting up to the older pair, ears straining to catch their hurried words.

"-im apologize," the man named Alden argued under his breath.

"It's _fine_, Alden!" the woman named Emeline hissed. "Just don't mention it to Mary and let this whole thing blow over- she's probably feeling guilty enough as is!"

"I'm just saying the boy should at _least_ say sorry for- for mentioning him..." Alden's voice faltered at the last, fading even further. Jack saw sorrow in the woman's eyes at the mention of her dead son and felt a small weight settle in his chest. Deciding he'd heard enough, a small breeze made the pair gasp in surprise at the chill, simultaneously carrying Jack to the edge of the village, to the home beside the frozen lake. It was there that, peering through the front window, he saw Emma curled up in a ball on her bed, her shoulders shaking as she shed her tears.

Jack's heart tore at the sight of it and he crept to the back of the small cabin, entering quietly through the unlocked back door. Emma's sobs became clearer as he approached, the unrestrained cries echoing throughout the cabin. Kneeling down, Jack reached out to touch her shoulder and was unsurprised when it passed through. Sighing in frustration, Jack immediately covered his mouth when Emma shivered in response to the cold breeze he'd created. Silently cursing his thoughtlessness, Jack stood and went to the window, climbing onto the sill. He knew it would make her cold- he knew that, but he couldn't stand to leave. Unable to comfort her in any other form, he waited, listening to her soft sobbing. It was then that he got an idea.

Emma liked roses, didn't she?

. . . . .

Emma curled further in on herself, letting her tears fall unheeded as the words of that _horrid_ boy echoed through her head.

"_It was his fault anyway, he should have known the ice was too thin."_

"_He was just stupid. That's why he died."_

"_It's lucky you're not stupid like he was, or you would have died too."_

"_It's a good thing he died. I didn't like him anyway."_

It wasn't his fault.

It had _never_ been his fault.

It was her fault.

It would always have been her fault.

The memory of his sacrifice revolved again and again within her mind, serving only to amplify the grief she felt. She continued on like this for a while, and was ready to continue for as long as she was able, when her noises died down enough that she began to hear a most curious sound. Uncurling herself just enough to look at the window beside her bed, Emma's eyes widened in shock at the strangest sight she'd ever laid eyes on.

Frost had covered the window, but more importantly, the frost was being drawn on. Even as she watched, and invisible finger carved smooth patterns in the brittle ice, swirling, crossing, expanding until they covered the glass entirely. Emma's eyes widened. Crawling off her bed, she moved to stand next to the window, placing her hand gently on the pane, watching as the frost melted around her fingertips.

Tears pricked the backs of her eyes and soon she had dissolved once again into tears.

Drawn on the window, spanning the entirety of the pane, was a rose in full bloom.

She had always loved roses.

And Jack had, too.

* * *

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this chapter. I had awesome ideas on how it would play out, but I'm just not happy with the ending.

Ah well.

Before this fic goes on, I need to say something else as well- as I mentioned before, I AM Australian, which is why I find it so incredible bizarre when people attempt to write Bunny's speech with an "Australian" accent.

It... it doesn't work, people.

You sound Texan to me.

It's very odd.

So rather than risk confusing and irritating people, I'm just going to write everyone's speech in a normal fashion, albeit with shifting manners of spelling depending on the characters' accent's country of origin :)

Reviews be awesome!

Requests be accepted!

Thanks for reading! :D


	6. Chapter 6- Shoes

Right. So. It's been ages since I last updated, I know.

For that, and those of you who actually care, I apologise.

*bows*

I've been under a crapload of stress lately and that, coupled with exams and CRIPPLING writer's block, I've simply been unable to finish anything I started, or simply start writing at all.

I'M SORRIE~

Hopefully from now on I'll be able to update more frequently, but I'm sorry- I can't promise anything {:)

Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews and favourites and follows!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

And a special thanks to guest reviewer who pointed out several discrepancies in the last chapter (THANK YOU SO MUCH! ^-^)

I love that word. Discrepancies. It is an excellent word.

ANYWHO! LET US BE OFF!

* * *

He supposed it had all started when he was five.

He'd been running through the village; his little feet, clothed in tiny leather shoes, pounding against the slick, muddy ground- left so as it had rained during the night. He looked away for only a moment, his eyes drawn by the sight of a tree at the edge of the village- one that looked particularly climbable. While his gaze was elsewhere he hadn't noticed that he'd veered off course, right into the path of an older boy, around seven or eight, who happened to be at least a foot taller than Jack. Not only had Jack collided with him, but the layer of gunk built up on the soles of his shoes had caused him to slip and fall back. Jack had seized the boy in an effort to keep himself upright and had instead pulled the unsuspecting other to the ground with him, right into a huge puddle of mud.

He had taken one look at the boy's livid face before he scrambled to his feet and ran.

He ran straight to that tree he'd seen at the edge of the village- one that didn't seem so climbable anymore. The branches were just out of his reach, and though he was an excellent climber, he doubted that he'd be able to make it.

Hearing an angry shout behind him, he decided he didn't have a choice. Launching himself upward, his hands latched onto the lowest branch, still wet from the rain, and he pulled himself up, scrabbling to find purchase on the trunk with his feet, but his slimy shoes weren't allowing him such luxury. Instead, he swung himself up and, with difficulty, righted himself so that he was sitting properly on the thick appendage. All of this was managed within half a minute, but he quickly realised that he definitely wasn't high enough.

Luckily, the next few branches were much closer and Jack easily made it two metres upward, standing well over the head of the other boy, who was clearly not a very good climber at all, having not even made over the first branch. Still, Jack wasn't going to rely on that and call himself safe just yet. Looking up at the next branch, lying just out of his reach, Jack did the same as with the first and jumped up, attempting to grab onto it- however, the branch was too wet and his fingers quickly slipped off, and rather than landing where he'd been before, his shoes- his _cursed, muddy_ shoes caused him to slide again and fall the remaining distance.

Jack broke his leg, and the boy gave him a bruised jaw and a very colourful threat.

He decided he wouldn't wear shoes while climbing.

Years later, Jack was nine, and he and a small group of boys were playing near the lake on an especially cold, yet sunny day. The time was winter and they were all shivering, but the chills running beneath their skin did nothing to disperse their excitement. They were playing a game they had dubbed "ball toss" which, in a stroke of creative genius, dictated that they toss a ball to each other. All was well and good until about an hour after they'd started, when Jack tossed the ball particularly high and it sailed over the heads of his companions, coming to rest in the middle of the frozen lake.

"You threw it, you get it," a boy had laughed.

Jack laughed with him good-naturedly and began to make his way over.

He was a third of the way over when he slipped, crashing awkwardly in a tangle of limbs. The boys laughed and he, feeling rather embarrassed but cheerful all the same, climbed to his feet and kept walking.

He was two-thirds of the way over when he fell again, this time landing right on his face. The boys laughed again and he, still embarrassed and still finding the whole thing rather amusing- though considerably less so- chuckled and attempted to stand, thanking the cold temperature for the great thickness of the ice.

As he did so, the smooth material of his shoes refused to grip on the smoother ice and he fell again. Now red-faced with humiliation, Jack ignored his friends' good-natured jeers and, once again, tried to climb to his feet.

He fell.

He tried again.

He fell.

His friends' hilarity echoed through the woods, resounding almost painfully in Jack's ears. By this point he closely resembled a rose- in colour, that is- and he was well and truly sick of slipping and sliding around. For fear of shaming himself again, rather than standing, Jack crawled to the location of the ball and, once there, snatched the offending item into his arms and removed his shoes. The leather criminals remained safely tucked under his arm and his bare feet, while absolutely _freezing_, guided him without incident back to land.

He decided he wouldn't wear shoes while walking on ice.

At age ten, when an incredible display of clumsiness and bad luck had him catching his right foot on the buckle of his left shoe, sending him pitching forward into the edge of the table and knocking out his remaining baby teeth, he decided he wouldn't wear shoes inside the house.

At age thirteen, when his five-year-old sister was teasing him about his constant self-induced injuries due to his recklessness, Jack had begun to chase her, playfully threatening to punish her for her words when the heel of his shoe caught on a fallen branch and he plummeted to the ground. Embarrassed, he had gotten up to continue the game when not five minutes later, the event repeated itself- this time causing him to land on what was, in his opinion, a _terrible_ place for a rock to be.

He'd broken his arm. Imagine the chances of that!

He decided he wouldn't wear shoes while he was playing.

Several months later, when he was sick of constantly removing and replacing the leather encasings, he decided he simply wouldn't wear shoes at all.

Except for important occasions. For those, his mother would have nothing else.

He couldn't tell for certain, but he thought it to be between the years of 1815 and 1837 when he came upon an old pair of leather boots. He marvelled at his find, for he had often observed humans in their habit of wearing the strange contraptions and wondered why he, who had woken clothed as one of them, did not wear any. He'd seen other legends wear them, too- not many, but he was sure the other seasonal spirits wore shoes of varied design. So why didn't he?

He pulled the boots on. They were a little uncomfortable, and did nothing to match his outfit, but he couldn't care less. For a time, he resumed his somewhat despondent lifestyle, keeping the boots on his feet always.

It took not even two weeks for him to come to absolutely despise the things.

He was constantly wriggling his toes, struggling to find comfort, but the darn things just wouldn't let up. His odd love for freezing things with his toes became an impossibility with them on, and when he tried to walk across a pond, expecting the surface of the water to automatically freeze and support him, he instead half-sank, saved only from falling in by the wind who quickly whisked him out of harm's way. Added to all of that, the boots were quickly deteriorating under the pressure of Jack's rambunctious lifestyle. It wasn't their purpose to be played in, to be frozen repeatedly or to be constantly scraped across gravelly ground at high speeds as Jack developed a habit of letting the tips of his shoes trail across the ground as he flew, for love of the feeling. Not even two weeks, and they already looked as if Jack had been wearing them for two years.

He'd gotten rid of them, and decided that he wouldn't wear shoes anymore.

So, when he'd achieved Guardianship and had been offered again the shoes presented to him by several of North's elves, he'd simply given the eager elves a raised eyebrow and a small shake of his head.

He walked, bare-footed and proud of it, in the opposite direction.

* * *

Thus, my explanation for the whole shoe-issue-thing. I figure he's got to have SOME reason, right /:)

I've been considering starting a fic called "ROTG Headcanons" in which I detail my explanations for the few discrepancies (hehe) that occur in the movie Rise of the Guardians, along with explanations for several simply unexplained things, but I can't decide whether to start a completely new fic for that, or simply include them in this fic.

HM.

Tough decisions~

Anywho, again, if you spot anything wrong, just tell me and I'll fix it right away! :D

And PLEASE review! I do ever so love reviews!

They nourish me.

. . .

Anywho, I HAVE started the next chapter (it's a particularly long one, and not awfully good, in my opinion, but whatever) so I SHOULD be able to update soon :3

THANK YOU FOR ALL FAVOURITES, FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS!

THANK YOU FOR READING! (See that? You get a whole exclamation mark just for being here)

Love you all~


	7. Chapter 7- Care (Part 1)

**_Hallo!_**

Thanks be to everyone who has followed/reviewed/favourited!

I was going to post the whole chapter, but stress has climbed back up on me again and I found myself unable to write the whole thing as I wanted to... Ah well. I've got a day off tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to work on it then :3

**JUST A QUICK NOTE THOUGH**

Contrary to a lot of other fics I've read, I like to think that Cupcake remains this tough, brawny chick as she grows up- I just think that's really frikkin cool, so I'll keep her that way, I think :)

Also, I really like the idea of Jack being just a little shorter than average, so I'll keep him that way, too- but feel free to think of him however you want ^-^

Anywho, please enjoy!

* * *

_Six years after movie_

Jack had honestly been surprised when, over the years, he discovered that there was no shortage of fun to be had with both Jamie and his friends. He'd expected them to grow out of it- to suddenly announce that they were too old to throw snowballs and build forts during winter. He'd expected them to say that they were too busy, occupied with their other friends or even their studies. Yet here they were, having just completed the eleventh grade, and they were still just as eager as ever to act like idiots in the presence of their winter friend.

He had to admit, though- it was a little disheartening when almost all of them- excluding Monty and Pippa, just by a little- outgrew him.

"It's probably because your family was really poor, so you didn't eat much and you didn't get the nutrition you needed to grow," Cupcake had once informed him wisely- this was, of course, at the time when he'd first noticed that the bulky girl had overshot him by at least an inch. When she was fifteen. Now, she was at least ten centimetres taller and had retained her heavy structure- not in fat, but in muscle. "Of course, it could just be your genetics."

He had grudgingly agreed and now, years later, he, Jamie and his friends had been having a snowball fight and, as per usual, everybody had turned against Jack. It hadn't taken long- the white-haired boy had been pelting them with snowballs from all directions when the teens concurrently agreed with each other through a series of glances and nods that Jack had a vastly unfair advantage over the rest of them. The silent agreement had led to them, as one, scooping up as large a snowball as they could manage and converging on their shorter friend, who let out a yell of surprise before ducking out of the way. The next ten minutes had passed as such before the incident.

It wasn't much, really- Jack had simply been standing in the wrong place and Cupcake had lowered her foot a little too forcefully. Jamie and Monty had been distracting Jack while she came in from the side, lunging fast to shove a large amount of snow in his face. He had stepped back with his right foot, ready to launch himself back and out of the way, but his exposed left foot had, at that point, already come under the crushing contact of Cupcake's heavy boots. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't hold back the loud cry of pain that escaped his throat as he felt bones snap, and was glad when, as he fell to the ground, instinct kicked in and he began to laugh- an almost manic laugh that he hoped beyond anything helped to disguise his pain.

He heard several loud gasps and a chorus of children shouting his name, then suddenly he was surrounded by people, all of whom looked unsure as to whether they should be concerned or laugh it off, as Jack seemed to be doing. Cupcake was hysterical, her eyes wide and her voice shrill as she almost begged Jack to tell her if he was alright. It took some time, but eventually Jack was able to calm his laughter enough to assure her in no uncertain terms that he was _absolutely fine_ and that none of them need worry about him. They had hesitated for some time, but at Jack's absolute insistence that his foot was only bruised, they once again delved into the fight.

Gritting his teeth in a practiced hurt-concealing grin, Jack often made a show of stepping on his broken foot, involuntarily releasing a high-pitched giggle every time he did so. Luckily, the children seemed to accept that he was simply becoming over-excited by the play, chucking snow with just as much vigour as before. However, as time passed, Jack found that he could no longer bring himself to even so much as let his foot touch the ground, so instead he contented with flying, still keeping as big a smile as he could manage glued onto his face. The sun was low on the horizon by the time they decided to stop, and it was awfully cold. Claude and his brother were the first to leave, with Pippa not far behind. Only Cupcake and Monty were left standing with Jamie and Jack, the former rubbing her arm awkwardly and glancing at Jack's swollen foot.

"Sorry, again- about that," she mumbled, twisting her lips in an apologetic grin.

Jack laughed, waving off her apology, struggling to hide a grimace and just barely succeeding. "It's fine, don't worry about it- I've done way worse, believe me. Besides, it's only a bruise."

"You are _sure_ about that, aren't you, Jack?" Monty asked, appearing doubtful. "I don't think it should really be swelling like that-"

"Monty, you really think a little accident like that is enough to give me anything more than a bruise? Don't worry about it. _Really_," he added a little more forcefully.

They still seemed doubtful, but a minute later they were on their way home, waving back at Jack and Jamie as they walked away. The pair of boys left standing alone waved back for a time, stopping only when both Cupcake and Monty were out of their line of sight. As soon as they were, Jamie turned to Jack, crossing his arms and wearing a frown of deep disapproval.

Jack kept his gaze fixed on the spot where Cupcake had disappeared for a moment before sighing and facing his taller friend, trying to make it seem as best he could that he most certainly was _not_ leaning on his staff for support- he simply liked to clench it so hard that his knuckles were turning even whiter than they already were.

Jamie was having none of it.

"You are such a liar," he said in a low, stern voice. Ignoring Jack's look of discomfort, he continued. "That foot's broken, isn't it?"

Jack shifted his grip on his staff, releasing a self-conscious chuckle. "Yeah," he admitted quietly, "it is."

Jamie's expression softened. "You should have just told us- we would have stopped playing if it was causing you so much pain."

Another chuckle. "Well, that's kinda _why_ I didn't tell you. I didn't want to all to worry too much- besides, Cupcake was already worried enough, I didn't need broken bones resting on her conscience. Should have known you wouldn't fall for it, though." Jack gave Jamie a wry grin, and the boy couldn't help but return it, letting his crossed arms fall to his sides.

"If you come back to my place, I can find some bandages for you or something..." Jamie trailed off, gesturing helplessly with his hands. "Or, I dunno, at least let you borrow some shoes, so you don't-"

"Nonononononono, thanks, but I'm fine," Jack interrupted hastily, laughing quietly. "I'm not a huge fan of wearing shoes. And thanks for the offer, but it's fine, really- I'll... I'll just go see North or something."

Jamie was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was low. "You _will_ go and see North, won't you, Jack? You're not lying to me again, are you?"

Jack twitched. When he opened his mouth to respond, no sound came out, and it took at least three tries before he gave up with a heavy sigh. Closing his mouth for a few seconds, when he finally managed to speak, his words were accompanied by a guilty undertone. "I will, Jamie. I'm not lying."

Jamie smiled. "See you soon, then."

"Say hi to your frogs for me."

"Jackass."

* * *

So Jack likes to mention the frogs as much as he possibly can during his visits- and while Jamie really does truly love his companions, he thinks of the act of Jack giving them to him as the prank of a prick, and never fails to let Jack know this.

Jack always laughs, though.

Thank you for reading!

Reviews are love. So much love.

The second part should come soon, if nothing else gets in the way :D

See you soon~


	8. Chapter 8- Care (Part 2)

Hello again!

This chapter be a long one O.O

Before we begin- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR BEAUTIFUL REVIEWS I LOVE THEM EVER SO MUCH THEY MAKE MY DAY

(On that note, I'll use this space here to thank stickysillyputty for their review, because I can't reply to guest reviews )

(And I will also use this space here to thank a guest who left a review quite some time ago, making some corrections to chapter 5- honestly, thank you so much!)

AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FOLLOWS

AND THE FAVOURITES

AND THE VIEWS

They make me feel all squiggly inside ^-^

Just quickly, I'll apologize for any drifting I do in terms of describing scenery- there will be less of that as the series goes on, I promise.

**Also a quick note here: **I know I said I wouldn't be writing Bunny's accent, and I won't, but there _will_ be a few words that I feel _have_ to be written differently because of the way he says them. Stuff like "prolly" and "gunna", you know? And I'll also change spelling in some places based on where the character is from :)

Right then! Apologies for any OOC-ness, and thanks for reading!

**WOW LOOK HERE I'M DISCLAIMING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER**

* * *

In all honesty, Jack _had_ intended to lie to Jamie, but after he'd gotten a proper feel of his foot, he decided it wasn't such a good idea to let it heal by itself after all. He'd broken bones before and all of them took quite some time to heal- especially if any of the bones were out of place, which he was sure was now the case. It wasn't an issue of the bones setting incorrectly- he wasn't sure exactly why, but that had never been a problem for him. No, the problem was purely and simply that it would take so long. He'd developed a habit of visiting one or more of his fellow Guardians regularly and if he disappeared for more than two weeks, they'd be sure to notice and investigate.

The thought brought a small smile to Jack's face. It had been a long, _long_ time since anyone had cared for him in such a manner. It was strange, and was still taking some getting used to, but he was enjoying it.

Jack urged the wind to speed up as Santoff Claussen came into view. In a matter of minutes, he was floating outside a large window on one of the upper floors- one that North had ordered be left open specifically as a waypoint for Jack. Jack flew inside and landed softly on the floor, using his staff as a crutch as he made his way to the door. Upon opening it he was exposed to the sight of an empty workshop, something that sent an odd chill down his spine. Christmas had been three days ago and the Yetis were taking a well-deserved break until the new year while the elves, slightly thrown-off by their absence, spent most of their time causing a ruckus in the kitchens. Even after six years, Jack still wasn't used to the sight of it and he rushed through, making sure not to disturb any of the Yeti's abandoned tools as the wind carried him past.

It wasn't long until he was standing before a large, ornate door on the highest floor, knocking gently on the smooth surface. It was in that room that North could often be found during the downtime after the rush of Christmas, relaxing in a soft leather chair in front of a warm fire, his eyes cast over one of the books from the massive shelves that lined the walls of the room. To be honest, Jack didn't hold much love for it- it was, in all aspects, a fantastic place, but it was awfully warm, putting Jack into a sort of stupor the moment he stepped inside.

To his surprise, Jack heard no response from inside. Knocking again, this time a little louder, he waited again and frowned when he still heard nothing. Stepping away from the door, he turned around, casting his gaze around the hall he was in. Supposing he must be somewhere else, Jack flew to the first place he could think of: the globe room. It was there that he did indeed find North, standing cross-armed at the location of the Guardian crystal, staring at the old decorated tiles that gave tribute to the four original Guardians on the polished floor.

"North!" Jack called as he drew close, hovering until he was standing right next to the Russian, looking up at him with a wide grin.

North jumped a little at the sound of his name and turned to the source, his eyes, wide in surprise, softening at the sight of the youngest Guardian. Beaming, he turned fully, addressing Jack in a jovial tone.

"Jack!" he exclaimed. "Good to see you! You went to see Jamie, yes?" He stared inquisitively at the other, raising an arm and clapping Jack on his shoulder, almost knocking the poor boy to the ground.

Jack thanked everyone he could think of that he'd had his foot off the floor at the time. Chuckling, he straightened. "Yeah, I did," he replied as nonchalantly as he could. His foot was aching terribly, making it more and more difficult to appear cheerful. "Actually, that's... kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What? Why?" North was immediately concerned. "Is there something wrong with him? Did som-?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that!" Jack hurriedly interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "No, it's nothing bad, I just... um..." Jack hesitated, steeled himself and continued. "Do you have any knowledge of first aid?"

North seemed almost shocked by the question, but it only lasted a second before a small frown settled onto his face. When he spoke, his voice was lower and filled with concern. "No, I do not, but I know that Bunny does. Why do you ask, Jack?"

Jack couldn't help but smile a little at the question, fidgeting nervously with one of the strings of his hoodie and avoiding North's eyes. "It's nothing really, jus-"

He was cut off by a loud cry of surprise and yelled out when he felt himself swept off his feet, red, black and white blocking his vision as North carried him to an armchair positioned a little away from the fire. The armchair and four others like it were a new addition, constructed and personalised to suit each Guardian once North realised he would be having the group around more often. Bunny's was closest to the fire and Jack's the furthest, all placed in a large curve about the fireplace so that the five could interact without having to move or shift around too much. North gently lowered Jack into his chair, holding his legs up and pulling at a small knob on the side which lifted the cushioned footrest. Once done, he released Jack's uninjured leg, but seemed reluctant to drop the other.

A full minute passed in which Jack clutched his staff close to his pounding chest, waiting anxiously for North's eyes to leave his foot. North, meanwhile, stood oblivious to Jack's discomfort, inspecting the appendage closely, his sharp eyes moving quickly to Jack's face as he ran his fingers along the foot, squeezing gently. When Jack gave a sharp gasp he grimaced and set the foot down with a long sigh.

"What happened?" he asked gently, kneeling down by Jack's side, hands clasped on the arm of the chair.

Jack fought to keep his voice level. "It wasn't anything, really, we were just playing- me and Jamie's friends, that is- and Cupcake accidentally stepped on it. She's really heavy," he added when North raised an eyebrow.

"Well," North said as he stood, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a small smile, "I am glad you came to me."

Jack smiled in return and soon he was back in North's arms, waiting patiently as the man pulled a small snow globe from his pocket, whispered something into it and threw, revealing a large, spinning portal to the Warren. In an instant, Jack and North were standing deep beneath the surface of Australia, calling out for the grey-furred Pooka. It didn't take him long to appear, and when he did, North wasted no time in explaining why they were there.

"So you can fall a hundred metres onto your _face_ and come out without a scratch, but as soon as a girl steps on your foot, you're done for?" Bunny couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head in exasperation. "All right, come on then."

Jack swallowed a retort as they followed behind, letting Bunny lead them through his home to a small cove carved into the side of a large hill, guarded by two large egg-warriors. The bare dirt had been patted down and sections of it had been dug into further, creating a series of round holes into which wooden shelves had been placed, upon which lay a series of jars filled with various coloured liquids and creams. Bunny gave a quick nod to the warriors and instructed North to set Jack down nearby, then headed to a small box perched high on a shelf at the very back. After pulling out a roll of bandages from inside, he snatched a jar from its shelf and returned to where Jack and North were sitting, taking Jack's leg gently in his hands.

Several minutes passed during which Jack fought giggles from the sensation of Bunny's furry hands against his skin, along with gasps and whimpers as Bunny wrapped the bandages tightly (_far_ too tightly, in Jack's opinion) around his foot. As soon as he declared his job finished, Jack leapt to his feet, leaning on his staff, and lowered his foot experimentally to the ground.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you, mate," Bunny said quickly, raising a furry eyebrow in Jack's direction. "It'll heal faster now, but it's nowhere near fixed. I'd give it a week at _least_ before you start stepping on it- prolly a couple more days before you can take all that off."

"Don't I need to change the bandages or anything?" Jack asked in a displeased tone, raising his foot from the ground with a small wince.

"Nope. Come see me when you reckon it's healed- and I mean _properly_- and I'll take 'em off, okay?"

"Can't I just-"

"No."

"But-"

"_No-_"

Jack opened his mouth to argue further, but North interrupted him, gathering the poor boy once again in his arms despite his protests. Beaming, the large man bid the Guardian of Hope a fond farewell, wasting no time in transporting both himself and Jack back to the globe room, where they came to be standing in front of the fireplace just as when they'd left. Jack waited expectantly for North to place him back in his armchair, but the big man surprised him, turning and carrying him to where Jack had first found him. North looked pointedly between Jack and the Guardian tribute, but the boy only stared back in confusion.

"Can I get down now?" he asked, shifting awkwardly in North's arms.

There was a beat of silence, then-

"You are not on the tribute."

Jack's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Well, no," he said with a wry smile, "I mean, this _was_ made _before_ I was a Guardian."

North shook his head, lowering his gaze to the small image of himself resting on the ground. "It is not right. When you came here earlier, you found me here, yes?"

Jack nodded slowly, his eyebrows sinking back into a confused frown.

North smiled. "I have been thinking. You are a Guardian now- you deserve to be there, with us. When Yetis return, I will have them remake it. You will go there, see?" he added, excitedly pointing to the point closest to the globe control panel. "I have finished the design already- if Yetis work well, should be finished about same time as your foot, I think," he winked at Jack, who could only stare blankly back. It was a while before he spoke again, and when he did, it was in a strangled whisper.

"But... n-no, it's fine, I don't need..." he trailed off, his eyes widening slightly. He took a deep breath. "_Really_? I mean, I-I..." he broke off again, then in a smooth movement, rolled out of North's arms, landing softly on the ground. Circling the tribute, he continued on in a small, shaky voice. "But- um..." he swallowed. "Are you sure? I mean, you've all been Guardians _way_ longer than I have, s-so..." He laughed nervously and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you _sure_? N-no, you don't want me on there, I'm-"

"A Guardian," North interrupted firmly. Striding over, he placed one, massive hand on Jack's shoulder, regarding him with crinkled eyes and a kind smile. "Jack, I know you have been alone for a long time," at this, he looked slightly pained, "and I know that would have been very hard for you. Harder, I think, than any of us can imagine."

Jack avoided his gaze, his mouth tightening almost imperceptibly.

"And I think that this is what has made it hardest for you to become... _close_ to us." When Jack looked like he was about to protest, North held up a hand to stop him. "I know that we are close already, but I also know that there is much about you that you have not yet told us." He raised an eyebrow. "Is this not true?"

Jack pursed his lips, his brow furrowed as he stared up into North's worried eyes. He could feel panic starting to affect him- he felt fidgety, and wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stand there- especially with North _staring_ at him like that!

'_Calm down,'_ he told himself firmly, his fingers tightening around his staff. _'Calm __**down**_,' he told his hammering heart, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. He ran his hands over the cool, twisted wood, lowering his gaze to the tribute where he let them wander, taking in the sight and yet not really seeing at all. It was a while before his eyes focused and he couldn't help but stare, gazing at the metallic Guardians at his feet. The tiles were worn, but well cared for, the slightly dulled shine speaking more than anything for their age. The tribute was important- loved by all. Special. _Sacred_.

North's questions were answered only with silence for many long minutes, but he was a patient man. He waited without a word for Jack to respond, taking careful notice of the boy's tense posture and tightened grip. His eyes were hidden by his hair, his shoulders slightly hunched. When eventually he did speak, it was in a subdued murmur.

"You're right," he said simply, and after a few seconds, he looked back up at North. "I haven't told you everything about me. I haven't told anyone. Really, I'm just... No-one's known me. No-one's even _seen_ me until just six years ago- there's never been any _proof_ that I exist, so this-" he gestured helplessly to the tribute, and to North's great surprise, gave a small, choked laugh. Suddenly, the small grin on his face disappeared and he looked at his companion in great anxiety. "Are you sure, though?" he asked in what was almost a whisper. "I-I mean... this is where the crystal is, isn't it? I-it's... no, it's too important, I shouldn't-"

"Jack," North interrupted gently, grasping the boy's shoulders and looking him in the eye. "You are a Guardian now- you are one of us- you are our great _friend_. You have become very special to us since we met you properly, and it is my great hope that you will become even dearer to us as time passes. It is my _greatest_ hope that we will become dear to you, in turn. But I will not ask you to feel that way, and I will not ask you, ever, to do anything that you are uncomfortable with. If you do not want to tell us things for now, then don't. It is your decision." North paused, and said with slight humility; "Though, if you will permit me to say so, I will say that I would dearly love to hear these things from you one day. Perhaps not soon, but eventually. Ah, but I am babbling!" North straightened, clapping his hands together loudly with a short laugh. "My point is that _nothing_ is too important for you, Jack. And I _want_ you to be a part of the things that are special to us, because _you_ are special to us. This... this _is_ clear, da?" North asked worriedly, attempting to gauge a reaction, but Jack's face was oddly blank.

Jack was starting to panic again. He could feel it- the rise of his heartbeat, the prickling of his skin and the constriction of his chest. Frost pricked at his scalp and he instinctively curled his toes, all too aware that the temperature had dropped at least five degrees, but at the same time, his insides felt strangely warm. Energy spread through his limbs and all of a sudden he needed to _move_, needed to get the energy _out_, needed to do _something_ to stop the panic from consuming him, body and soul. So he did the only thing he could think of. He let out a loud, shaky laugh and threw himself into North's arms, still laughing, clutching at the man's massive red coat. North seemed surprised, but his expression quickly turned into one of joy and he returned the hug, though it didn't last long, for Jack was soon away again, spinning and bouncing around the perimeter of the mosaic, a wide grin threatening to split his face in half.

"And I'm going here, right?" he asked excitedly, pointing to the spot North had shown him not long before. When the bigger man nodded he laughed again, literally jumping with joy as he made another full-circle around the thing, stopping only when he forgot about his injury, landed on his left foot, and ended up in a foetal position on the ground with North above him, patting him gently on the back and roaring with laughter.

The following week was trying, to say the least. Bunny had, apparently, deemed it the appropriate course of action to let the other Guardians know of the incident. Tooth and a small swarm of Little Teeth were at Santoff Claussen in a flash, followed later by Sandy, who smiled at the sight of the bird-like woman fussing over their young companion. They all kept their distance for the most part, though insisted on having him take things easy which, of course, he didn't. It took Bunny threatening to dunk him in the river of dye in the Warren for Jack to at least agree to report back to North on a regular basis, but even then, the visits were few and far between as Jack made all manner of excuses to be out and about. Jamie seemed glad that Jack had listened to him, and since he couldn't play with them, Jack made sure to give every child that knew him an extra foot of snow "To make up for the foot I can't use," he would later explain to his first believer, giggling throughout.

The other Guardians had given up on keeping track of Jack by the end of the fifth day, and it was for this reason that they were all greatly surprised to see him at Santoff Claussen on the ninth day, immediately after he'd had his bandages removed, bouncing around what little of the globe room hadn't been blocked off for construction. His left foot was in constant motion- rolling, flexing, wiggling of toes- Jack seemed more than relieved to have full freedom again, and was taking full advantage of it.

The Guardians watched with amused smiles while Jack waited, each taking turns to encourage the boy to sit still for more than five minutes- an impossible task, it seemed- especially with North regularly informing them that the Yetis were almost done.

Then, the Yetis emerged from behind the temporary blockade they'd set up around the tribute, gesturing for Jack and the others to come through.

Jack stared at the small depiction of himself and let out a shaky laugh, trying his hardest not to let fall the tears that threatened to escape him.

It was impossible to miss the ear-to-ear smile that stayed on his face for weeks after.

* * *

And there we have it. My very first arc.

Turned out fluffier than I expected, but I'm not complaining.

OR AM I?!

I'm sorry if that moved a bit too quickly in places- I was slightly frustrated that this was taking too long, and in the end, I feel it's a little rushed.

*bows in apology*

Anywho, thank you all _very_ much for reading- and PLEASE REVIEW!

I LOVE ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS!

And thank you so much to the people who added me to your author alert list- that honestly stunned me, I'm extremely honored!

If you've noticed any discrepancies or just stuff you found a bit _wrong_, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll either see what I can do or explain why I can't do it.

Also, I do take chapter requests, so if you have something you wanna see, just tell me and, again, I'll see what I can do or explain why I can't do it :D

THANK YOU FOR READING I LOVE YOU ALL~


	9. Chapter 9- Footbaaawwwwlll

Hello there!

First of all, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWED/FAVOURITED/REVIEWED/VIEWED MY STORY I'M HONESTLY SO HAPPY~  
Really, thank you :3

And second of all, I do apologize for the late update- I know I keep saying "The next one will come sooner!" but crap just keeps getting in the way...

What great irony it was that my school holidays were more stressful than school itself...

Oh well.

**LOOK HERE FOR A MOMENT, PLEASE**

This chapter comes to us as a request from RizReviewer, who wanted to see the Guardians playing football (it was actually meant to be more of a "teaching-Bunny-to-play-football fic, but that didn't work out, and I truly do apologize).

**AND THIS IS WHY THAT FACT IS IMPORTANT:**

I actually know next to nothing about the sport, and had to do a lot of research to make this chapter work (longest chapter so far, btw- if that's annoying, sorry, but it just wouldn't get any shorter) but I'm still not sure if I'm doing everything correctly- even with a lot of the stuff WAY dumbed down to suit my knowledge- so if anyone who actually knows the sport sees anything wrong, or odd or thinks something could be included, PLEASE tell me and I'll try and sort it out as soon as I can, okay? :)

ANYWHO, HERE IT IS!

* * *

"You mean you've _never_ heard of it before?" Jack asked incredulously, and Bunny's only reaction was to sink further into his chair, releasing an irritated sigh.

"_Yes,_ that's what I'm saying," he said tersely. "It hasn't _exactly_ been one of my top priorities, you know."

"Well yeah, but..." Jack gestured wildly about the room as he chewed on a cookie snatched from the grip of a passing elf. He held the squealing creature at bay with his staff, swallowing heavily before continuing. "I mean-" he said, swallowing again, "the rest of us at least _know_ about it, I'm just surprised, is all. They play it all the time in Australia, don't they?"

"Do they?" Bunny asked in surprise. At a pointed look from Jack and a small, silent chuckle from Sandy, the tall Pooka's mouth twitched and he sunk even _further_ into his chair, gripping the armrests and absently scratching at the floor in front of the fireplace with the claws on his feet. "The Warren's _beneath_ Australia, you know," he muttered after a moment, frustration clearly lining his voice. "And it's not like I can just waltz up there, can I?" At this, he released a small laugh, looking at the youngest Guardian out of the corner of his eye. "If I let anyone see me outside of Easter, there'd be an uproar- unlike _some_ people, I'm popular," he announced proudly.

"Yes, is nothing to do with the fact that you are a giant rabbit," North chuckled, and Bunny was properly abashed.

"No, it's _nothing_ to do with that!" the Pooka snapped. "I mean it- I'm busy enough taking care of the Warren already! If I just started hanging out with kids, I wouldn't have time to do that and the whole place would crumble! Bloody oath, might as well declare Easter a dead holiday then and then the kids wouldn't have reason to believe in me anyway!"

"Well, we all know that Easter is not-"

"Don't even start, North," Bunny interrupted, a threatening glint in his eye.

"Start what?" North asked innocently.

"Boys, please," Tooth said in exasperation, her voice swiftly dismissing any hostility that might have arisen from the budding argument. North smirked and glanced at his long-time companion, while Bunny simply crossed his arms with a small huff. Sandy smiled, raising an eyebrow at the two and then at Jack, who still showed signs of confusion.

"It just seemed weird, is all," he mumbled quietly. "I mean," he raised his voice, "when we were collecting teeth, I remember you took like five teeth from one kid who played hockey-" Tooth gave an involuntary shiver, "-and you called him something... Brumby, I think? So you know about hockey, right?"

"Yeah."

"But not football?"

"Yeah."

". . . That's weird."

"You're weird."

"Granted." Jack paused, then the beginnings of a smile began to creep across his face, a familiar mischievous glint entering his eyes. Over the course of getting to know the spirit of winter, the other Guardians had learned to recognise this look- Jack was getting an idea, and they were never sure whether that was a good thing.

This time, however, the suggestion seemed to be quite tame.

"Why don't we all play together?"

There was, of course, resistance, but overall, the idea was quite appealing. North was surprisingly enthusiastic, immediately setting off to recruit as many Yetis as possible to join in. Bunny didn't really have a choice in the matter, and once Tooth had been assured in as many ways possible that they were going to be _careful_ and that there would _definitely not_ be_ any_ injuries around the jawline, she seemed content to take part. It took North no longer than ten minutes to find enough Yetis to complete the two teams and another two minutes to inform them that he did, in fact, have a football field of his very own.

"What for?" Jack had asked in confusion. "I know you'd need to make footballs for some kids, but do you really need an entire field just to test them out?"

"Of course not!" North laughed good-naturedly as the five of them, plus a small army of Yetis, rode the bauble-shaped elevator down beneath the workshop. "Toy-making can be a very stressful process, and sometimes there are periods when Yetis and I, we cannot work because of this. It is during these times that we come down here, and we play a game. Sometimes we even hold tournaments! Of course, I am always the winner."

"You mean your team wins, right?"

North looked at the pale boy in confusion. "What do you mean, "team"? Is every man for himself!"

"I'm getting the impression we're not talking about the same game here."

"Of course we are! Ah, but no more- here we are!"

Jack looked away from his bulky companion and had to repress a gasp of surprise. He and the others found themselves emerging from the lift into what was clearly a small stadium, complete with two massive, shining goal posts, wooden stands circling the perimeter and a grassy field in the centre. Light poured through thick windows close to the ceiling, bathing the room in a whitewashed glow, and a combination of two massive fireplaces at either end of the field (looking very out-of-place beside the large field of grass) and excellent insulation kept the place very warm indeed.

Jack pursed his lips, the first to notice the change in temperature. Sandy noticed his expression of discomfort and immediately alerted the other Guardians, who were predictably concerned for their newest friend- Bunny in particular, who seemed entirely too willing to call off the entire activity in favour of making sure Jack was comfortable. After a quick discussion and a short trip back upstairs, Jack had replaced his hoodie with a thin white t-shirt, the fires had both been put out, and Bunny was left looking incredibly put-out as he and the others took their place on the field.

"So how do you play this thing?" he asked sullenly, crossing his arms.

When North launched into an explanation of how he and the Yetis played, Jack had to stop him. It turned out that North had gained a basic understanding of how the game worked years before, and had since settled on playing his own version of the game, which was more of a violent version of the game "Bull Rush". They would begin with two people on the field, both holding onto one end of a football with one hand before attempting to wrestle the object out of their opponent's arms at the sound of the starting whistle. Whoever managed to grab the ball would then run to one end of the field- it mattered not which- and would be repeatedly tackled by both their opponent and any willing participants in the audience along the way. If they made it to the end of the field with the ball in their hands, they won. If they were stopped, the game would begin anew. As North had said earlier, and the Yetis now proclaimed in garbled shouts of mixed frustration and pride, North was always the winner.

"He's been doing that for about a hundred and seventy years now," Tooth explained to Jack in a low, disapproving tone. "I wouldn't mind it so much, but there have been _so_ many incidents where someone has lost teeth, and while it isn't a problem for North, since an immortal's teeth will just regenerate and grow back, the Yetis don't have that luxury!" she gave a short huff, pouting. "And he never listens to me when I tell him to stop, either!"

Jack laughed, patting her gently on the shoulder. "I don't think North would listen to anyone on that issue, Tooth. Are you still going to play?"

"Of course!" Tooth flashed a wide grin. "I might not like it when teeth are knocked out, but if it's all just harmless fun, I really don't mind sports like this. I just don't get a chance to play that often- you know, the girls aren't really all that interested, and to be honest, I'm usually not all that interested either, but... I think this could be fun," she concluded happily. "As long as there is _no_ roughhousing!" she added sternly, fixing everyone in the room with a sharp stare. "I mean it! If I hear of _one_ chipped tooth, there's going to be trouble!"

"We will all be very careful, Tooth," North assured her gently. "Right, Bunny?"

"I still don't know the bloody rules!" the Guardian exclaimed in response, clearly itching to abandon the whole project. "Can we just get this started already? How do we actually play?!"

"I already told you the rules!"

"Struth..."

"The _real_ rules, North- we're playing _normal_ football," Jack said with a grin. When North appeared slightly put-out, he couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, it'll be fun!"

Coming from the Guardian of Fun himself, this was no small claim.

As he began his explanation of his understanding of the game, Jack was forced to admit that he'd only ever played football with the children of Burgess, and thus had a child's understanding of the sport, dulled down to make up for the lack of goalposts and sufficient players. _However_, as he quickly added when Bunny looked ready to leave, it was still incredibly enjoyable and he was sure they would all have fun.

Then, the large group was divided into two and the positions decided. On one team- Team "Claws", as proudly named by North and currently offense- were North as quarterback (and team captain) and Tooth as a wide receiver. The other team had been named "Cold Shoulder" by a widely-grinning Jack, and starred Bunny as Line-backer (and reluctant "WHY ME?!" team captain), Sandy as a member of the defensive line and Jack as a cornerback. They took to the field, lining up in tight formation- a process that took an unnecessarily long time as an argument ensued between Jack and North as to whether the winter spirit was allowed to retain his staff. Jack won, and proudly crouched in his position with the twisted wood clutched tight in his hand. Forgoing the kick-off, one of the Yetis on North's team shouted something unintelligible, and suddenly the offensive team stiffened.

Bunny frowned in confusion from his position. "Wait, what? Are we starting?"

"Aw come on, I thought you were starting to catch on, Cottontail!" Jack teased, grinning widely, a gleam of mischief in his eye.

"Special rules!" Tooth suddenly declared in a loud, firm voice that commanded their attention. "Sandy is allowed to use minimal amounts of sand to interact with other players, but only one player at a time! He may also use it to propel himself forward while running!"

The others nodded, glancing at the small man, who smiled in response. The rule was fair- he was too small to be able to protect himself from his opponents without the use of sand, and his short legs didn't allow for fast running in any situation. They didn't have much time to dwell on it, though- even when the Sandman himself laughed silently to himself at the mental image of himself attempting to sprint on his stubby legs- as Tooth continued talking.

"I will be able to use _one_ half-flap of my wings to help me jump, and while running, will be allowed to maintain light flapping to help me keep up my speed!" Tooth paused, then added in a slightly bashful tone; "I'm not awfully good at using my legs," she explained, then shrugged.

The others nodded again.

"Right, so! Bunny will _not_ be allowed to jump at his full capacity!"

"What?!" the Guardian in question exclaimed in clear annoyance. "Why?"

"Bunny, you and I- and all of us- know that you could clear this entire field with one of your jumps. It's not fair on the rest of us. If I allowed you to jump, I'd have to let Sandy and Jack fly, as well as myself. Wouldn't be much fun for North or the Yetis, would it?"

Tooth gave Bunny a pointed look, ignoring the way that North and his team mirrored her actions. She waited until she had received a grudging, mumbled agreement in response before smiling, then turning to Jack.

"Jack, I've already said this, but I'll say it again- no flying." She said this almost sternly, allowing a small smile to grace her features when jack gave her a petulant pout. "However," she continued, "Since you've got it there with you, and that in itself seems like more of a handicap than anything else, you're allowed to use your staff to perform certain functions. Like grabbing the ball, or pushing others out of the way," she added for clarity's sake.

The simultaneous groaning of North's entire team combined sent thick vibrations through the ground. One of them said something in her garbled language, clearly upset by the decision.

"Oh come on!" Tooth snapped suddenly, placing her hands on her hips and frowning at the lot of them. "Holding his staff takes away the use of one of his hands, which gives all of you a massive advantage over him to begin with! Besides," she added, a little hesitantly. She glanced at Jack and smiled apologetically. "I'm used to taking on larger opponents hand-to-hand. I can deal with all of you myself. Jack's... Oh, you're awfully small, Jack. I just don't want you to be at a disadvantage with the Yetis."

She was looking at Jack now, and was greatly relieved to see that his grin never faltered. In fact, it seemed to widen.

"Thanks, Tooth," he said jovially, raising an eyebrow at the other team. "I appreciate it, really."

The other team grumbled at his apparent sarcasm, but honestly, he wasn't being sarcastic- he really did appreciate the bonus. His usual approach to larger enemies was either to stay away or to attack at a distance- in a sport like football, close-contact was inevitable, and the Yetis were all at least a foot taller than he was. The idea that he wasn't allowed to fly away was daunting, to say the least. At least with the use of his staff he might be able to vault over their fluffy heads.

Tooth beamed and finally turned to address North. "All right, last one- North, stick to the rules."

North tried his best to look insulted. "Tooth, you wound me!" he breathed, placing a massive hand over his heart.

Even his teammates rolled their eyes.

Tooth only gave him a wry smile. "Stick to the rules," she repeated, then clapped her hands, nodding for the man to announce the start of the game.

"Begin in one," North began slowly, ominously. "Two..."

The others readied themselves, then-

"THREE!"

On North's side, the center passed the ball back to him and North immediately stepped back, out of the way of the two clashing teams lit by the unwavering light of Sandy's golden dreamsand. Pulling his arm back, North let loose a wild throw towards the other end of the pitch. Tooth and Jack, both waiting up ahead, attempted to catch it to no avail- it flew far out of their reach, sailing over their heads, up the field and straight through the goalposts, landing with a loud _'THUD!'_ in the stands.

North and his team looked just about to cheer when Tooth flew over and promptly smacked him on the back of the head.

"What?!" he exclaimed indignantly, rubbing the affected area and glaring at her.

"I _told_ you, _stick to the rules_!" she admonished. "You can only _kick_ the ball through the posts!"

"Is dumb rule," he huffed. "If I can throw it through, I should be allowed to throw it through."

"Well you can't. So stick to the rules."

"My rules are better."

Toothiana sighed heavily, crossing her arms while the Yetis exchanged nervous glances. Truly, they all respected their leader with the greatest enthusiasm, but it was true that he could be awfully stubborn. Toothiana knew this.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to remove the goalposts from the game entirely," she said with finality.

North held his gaze.

Tooth broke it, turning back to the group with a wide smile. "Hear that, everyone? No more goalposts, okay?"

"Good," Bunny sighed, clearly relieved. "One less thing to worry about."

Jack laughed. "Well, why don't we make it so you can only score with touchdowns then? It'd still be fun!"

"Sounds great!" Tooth said excitedly, then directed everyone to return to their positions. A repeat of the current rules was explained _thoroughly_- particularly to Team Claws, then the game was underway.

With no thought as to the various time restrictions usually placed on the game, they played without end and, not surprisingly, enjoyed it. North barrelled through his opponents wherever he could, but, in a show of good sportsmanship (that, arguably, could have come from Tooth giving him a meaningful stare from time to time), he made sure to pass to his teammates often. Tooth herself was a machine- if ever she caught the ball, it seemed that nothing could stop her. She ran at top speed- only slightly slower than everyone else, with her wings in use- but she slipped easily through the arms of her opponents, only facing any real threat when up against any of the opposing Guardians. If anyone, it was usually Jack that managed to take her out- either by seizing the ball out of the air before it could reach her- or simply by tackling her. His experience with the game showed itself clearly- he was a fast runner, and had excellent intuition, and as a result, always seemed to be wherever he was needed. When he had the ball, the opposing team groaned. Jack was effortless in his ability to slip through their fingers, and was greatly skilled with his staff, which he used to aid him in vaulting over people's heads, grabbing the ball and, on occasion, dragging other players closer to a tackle.

But none of them- not even Jack- could compare to the powerhouse that Bunny turned out to be. The Pooka seemed to have a natural affinity for the sport and picked up on the (slightly twisted) rules quickly. He stayed true to his restrictions and used not even half his jumping prowess, but even so, he leapt over the heads of Team Claws and, with the ball tucked securely in under one arm, ran at full speed towards the opposite end of the field. It was during these occasions that Tooth would blushingly admit to have sped up, even coming close to flying in order to catch up with the grey-blue blur. He scored no less than seven touchdowns, barely outstripping North's own six. A wide grin and narrowed, determined eyes revealed the depth of excitement he was experiencing, coming close to outdoing the clear joy that Jack wore at all times of the game.

That is, until roughly half an hour later, when an odd sound coursed around the field- something akin to a muffled explosion, coupled with a deep, low rushing of sand. The eyes of all were immediately brought to focus on Sandy, who stood betwixt the unconscious forms of two large Yetis, his eyes wide with surprise and guilt.

"Sandy?" Jack called in concern, flying over. He landed beside the little golden man, placing a cold hand on his shoulder and examining the bodies of the Yetis. "What happened?"

Sandy gave an awkward smile and used his sand to recreate the scene- himself holding the ball, then being assaulted by the two Yetis, who had both attempted to tackle him at the same time. Sandy had, predictably, been somewhat frightened by the huge masses of fur about to squash him and had acted on instinct, sending out a large wave of sand that not only knocked back the players, but knocked them _out_, too.

At this, Jack couldn't help but laugh. "So where's the ball now?"

Sandy shrugged.

"Right here, mate," called Bunny from a few metres away, tossing the object from hand to hand as if he'd been handling one his entire life. "Musta gotten knocked away in the scuffle. Here." He handed Jack the ball, who promptly tossed it to North, who accepted with a wink.

"But what do we do about these two?" Tooth asked anxiously, surreptitiously ducking down to check the condition of their teeth. "We can't leave them lying here, and from the amount of sand they took in, they'll be out for a while..."

Two Yetis from Team Cold Shoulder strode forward, taking their brethren into their arms. After a short discussion with North they left the field, disappearing through the lift and to the floors above.

"Where are they going?" Bunny asked, frowning.

"To take the others to their rooms," North replied cheerfully. "They will not be coming back. This way, we are even."

"But- couldn't we get more players? It's not football anymore if we don't have proper-sized teams!"

"Says the person who only found out about it a couple of hours ago," Jack said, grinning wryly. At Bunny's disgruntled growl, Jack giggled and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Aw, it's okay! We'll still have fun!"

"Besides, the teams are still pretty big anyway," Tooth pointed out. "Nine players each is pretty impressive."

Sandy chipped in with two thumbs up and an enthusiastic nod, and Bunny grudgingly conceded. The game was back on.

But not for long, it seemed. Another dreamsand mishap and another two Yetis from Claws were out for the count, bringing another Yeti out from Cold Shoulder with them. Sandy volunteered to leave as well to balance the numbers, and also to avoid any further like incidents in the future. The unconscious Yetis were sent upstairs and Sandy wrapped a whistle on a chain around his neck, conjuring a cap and calling himself referee. Two large numbers of sand floating on either side of him kept score, teams signified with two signs- a large bow on one side, which read "96" and a snowflake on the other, which read "108". Cold Shoulder was winning, but only just.

Seeing the scores in the flesh (or sand, as it were) seemed to spur on the players. North became even more aggressive in his endeavours, and even Jack found it difficult to catch the speedy fairy who, through some unimaginable cause, had managed to almost double her running pace. Not to say that the other team didn't respond in kind- Bunny was racing along faster than ever, and those that stood by Jack as he raced past them could swear they felt a chilly breeze follow behind.

Team numbers were dwindling now. At the moment of Sandy leaving, there had been seven members on each team. After a small scuffle between several Yetis, during which one twisted his ankle and another emerged with a concussion, there were five. When Jack had the ball and panicked upon being grabbed by the back of his shirt, another Yeti and consequent other left the field, the former cradling a frost-covered arm, leaving four.

They all watched the two take the lift to the upper floors, looking awkwardly at the far-depleted crowd they had left. Staring at what little left of their teams, North let out a booming laugh, confidence flashing in his bright blue eyes.

"We may have few left, but we can still play!" he roared with enthusiasm. Then, taking the ball from one of his companion's arms, he let out a second roar and charged, heading straight for the end zone. A Yeti went to tackle him, but North simply pushed the creature out of the way and, to everyone's surprise, dropped the ball and kicked it, sending it soaring through the goal posts.

Sandy cheered and clapped, adding three points to his team's side.

"Wait, wait- I thought we weren't doing kicks!" Bunny exclaimed angrily.

North shrugged, crossing his arms and watching with everyone else as Tooth flew away to retrieve the ball. "You snooze you lose," he said with a grin.

When she returned, Bunny took the ball from her immediately, glaring at North, but not without a crafty smirk. "You're in strife, North," he said in a low voice.

Before anyone could react, Bunny was away, racing down the field. It wasn't long before he had reached the other end, and with another silent cheer, Sandy added six more points to his side.

Watching this, North raised an eyebrow and laughed, shooting a glance at Tooth, who smiled back.

"Well, I suppose as long as we're all doing it..." She giggled, took the ball from Bunny and flew away, straight for the goal posts, but not without Jack close on her tail. The boy urged the wind faster, bringing him level to the tips of her tail feathers within seconds. Reaching out, he gave a gentle tug on the longest and when Tooth gasped and instinctively slowed, he sped forward, reached back with his staff and, using it as a bat, knocked it out of her hands.

Below, Bunny was waiting, ready to catch the object and as soon as he did he was underground, speeding along beneath the field until he reached a spot just before the endzone, where he finally emerged. But just as he was about to throw it down in success, the ball was yanked from his grip by a pair of large, strong hands.

"NOR-" Bunny shouted, but North was already away, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a small object which, with a small shake, he threw in front of him, revealing a massive spinning whirlpool of light. A similar hole appeared on the other side of the field and suddenly North was running out of it, raising his arm to, like Bunny, throw down the ball in triumph.

His plan was thwarted when Jack appeared from above, snatching the thing from his hands using his staff. With a gleeful cry, Jack zoomed off, and thus the match continued for the next five minutes with the ball being continuously tossed back and forth using all manner of inane methods. The four Yetis remaining had all but given up and now sat on the field, watching with small smiles as the other four Guardians fought over the possession of the lump of leather, string and air.

It was at the end of these few minutes that something unexpected happened. Bunny stood on one side of the field, ball in hand, just about to try his luck at running to the other end untouched when the ball was suddenly taken from him.

Sputtering, Bunny turned to see who it was that had stolen it, for he could see all three other players on the other end, and to his great astonishment, met the smiling face of Sandy, who, with a giggle, floated calmly to the center of the field. The others watched curiously as he reached the center and paused, looking around for a moment before beaming and, with all his might, throwing the ball down to the ground through a ring of flowing golden sand. He promptly raised both arms in cheer, clapping wildly and appearing for all the world as a small child opening presents on their birthday.

The other Guardians were soon beside him, panting, clapping, cheering and laughing when he gave them all a deep bow. When the festivities were done, Jack spoke up; "So how many points was that worth, exactly?"

Still beaming, Sandy held up two fingers.

"Two?" Tooth asked in surprise. "But-"

Sandy shook his head, insistent.

"Twenty?" North asked curiously.

Sandy shook his head again.

"Two hundred, then?" it was Jack's turn to ask.

Sandy nodded, his grin widening further.

"Two hundred!" Bunny glanced at the scores which were still floating at the side of the field. "Crikey, he's got both of us beat!"

Sandy nodded again and Jack laughed, giving him a well-earned hi-five. The others followed suit and the group shared mixed expressions of happiness and exhaustion and were soon making their way back upstairs and to their respective couches, whereupon they relaxed, holding a variety of drinks and treats and discussing the results of their match. It was during a long period of silence that Jack turned to Bunny with a wide grin.

"Have you heard of soccer?"

* * *

And there we have it.

I reckon Tooth would be an absolute TANK in most sports (she's so tough, I absolutely love it) and I also think that North would be one of those stubborn "no we have to do this MY way" sort of sportspersons. It just seemed to fit :)

So yeah, hopefully I've fulfilled my various expectations with this chapter, but if not, please don't hesitate to tell me- I want to improve in any way I can!

Anywho, thank you all so much for reading!

AND PLEASE REVIEW! I LOVE ALL YOUR REVIEWS!

I love them so much.

And as always, if you have a request, I'll either do my best to fulfill it or tell you why I can't fulfill it (or attempt to fulfill it and fail miserably, hehe) and the same with any issues you might have with something I've written.

And look! This time I can actually outright promise the next update will be sooner, because this one took SO LONG THAT THE LENGTH OF THE BREAK COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE EQUALED and also I'm like halfway through the next chapter. Isn't that exciting!

Well, I thought it was, anyway.

Baibai~ ^-^


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